He didn't have to endure the drudgery of the Broncos' offseason practices. He wasn't asked to take copious notes during those boring position meetings. He didn't have to wake up early or stay late at the team's Dove Valley headquarters.

Wolfe even got handsomely paid during his sabbatical, receiving a contract that paid him a $2.27 million signing bonus.

He was free, rich — and absolutely miserable.

"It was frustrating," Wolfe said. "Frustrating to get behind like that."

Wolfe is a defensive tackle from the University of Cincinnati who in late April became the first player drafted by the Broncos. They waited until the second round, No. 36 overall, but he was the first off their board.

He participated in the Broncos' rookie camp in early May, but then was ordered, against his will, to stay away from the 10 organized team activity (OTA) practices that spanned the past three weeks.

NFL rules stated Wolfe had to wait until after his Cincinnati graduation class walked through its ceremony Saturday before he could rejoin the Broncos — even though Wolfe remains a few credits shy of his degree.

So, forgive Wolfe if he's more gung-ho than others about participating in the Broncos' three-day minicamp session that starts today and marks the final segment of the team's offseason program.

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"I can't wait to get on the field," said Wolfe, who spent the past three weeks working out near his hometown of Lisbon, Ohio. "It'll come fast. It's just something that's frustrating that you get punished for something you can't control."

The Broncos' OTAs missed not only Wolfe but practice on extra points and field goals. Barring a last-minute breakthrough in negotiations, Matt Prater, the Broncos' kicker the past four seasons, is expected to remain an unsigned holdout through the minicamp.

Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe (95) reaches to block the ball against Connecticut in an NCAA college football game Dec. 3, 2011, in Cincinnati. (The Associated Press file)

Prater was tendered a $2.6 million franchise-tag salary for 2012, but because he hasn't signed it, the team can't fine him if he misses the otherwise mandatory minicamp sessions. Prater is holding out in hopes of increasing bargaining leverage for a long-term contract.

Wolfe already has his long-term deal after he and the Broncos agreed to a four-year, $6.25 million contract while he was away. In the Broncos' ideal plan, Wolfe and veteran Ty Warren eventually will become their starting defensive tackles this season. But as both essentially missed the OTA period — Warren was an unofficial contract holdout until reporting last Wednesday — veteran Justin Bannan and first-year player Sealver Siliga have a legitimate chance of altering plan A.

Where Wolfe fears he fell behind is with the playbook. He studied all he could, but those defensive plays are nothing more than diagrams from D.J. Williams' Twitter account without having the chance to implement those assignments on the field.

"The physical part I'm not worried about," Wolfe said. "I don't like to go out there and not know what I'm doing. I can't wait to get back out there."

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